With the widening search for petroleum there has been an increasing need to carry out exploratory drilling and other resource development operations in the frozen arctic regions. The problems associated with the remoteness of the area are compounded by the presence of an ice cover, intermittent in some areas, which may be moving under the action of wind and ocean currents. Pressure ice forms ice ridges in some areas while other areas remain as open water in a constantly changing pattern. These conditions preclude the use of conventional open water drilling units as well as conventional land based drilling techniques. Airborne carriers supported on an air bubble have also been proposed but are costly to operate and have other technically limiting capabilities.